Southwest Louisiana Landmarks That Have Changed Over 20 Years

KNGT | Lake Charles, LA — If you've lived in Southwest Louisiana long enough, you have noticed a change. Things are not always the way they were 20 years ago. That's exactly what got us talking last week on Gator 99.5.

What Has Changed the Most in Southwest Louisiana?

Last week's Mike & Scotty's Biscuits and Banter Question of the Day, we asked our listeners: "What's one place in Southwest Louisiana you think looks completely different than it did 20 years ago?" And let me tell you, some of these answers brought back memories. Of course, one listener decided to be funny and said Mike and I look a whole lot different than we did 20 years ago. I'm just gonna say shout out to Healthy Size Lake Charles for that.

But once we got past picking on the morning show, the memories started rolling in. Remember the Old Movie Theaters in Lake Charles? One listener brought up something that probably made a bunch of folks smile. Remember when Lake Charles had the Charles Cinema, Oak Park Cinema, and the Prien Cinema in front of the mall? Going to the movies was a big deal back then. You didn't have a thousand streaming services sitting in your living room. You loaded up the family, headed to the theater, bought some popcorn, and hoped nobody tall sat in front of you. Those old theaters are part of growing up in Lake Charles for a lot of us.

And speaking of the mall, another listener remembered the area where Piccadilly used to be. If you grew up going to the Prien Lake Mall, you probably remember eating at Piccadilly or walking past it while shopping. Things sure have changed.

The Lake Charles Lakefront Looks Different Too. Another answer was the Lake Charles lakefront, especially without the old CM Tower. For years, that tower was part of the downtown skyline. It was one of those buildings you didn't really think much about because it had always been there. Then one day, it wasn't. And suddenly the view of the lakefront looked completely different. That's the funny thing about landmarks. Sometimes you don't realize how much they're part of your everyday life until they're gone.

Lebleu Settlement Has Changed Over the Years. One listener took us back even farther, remembering Lebleu Settlement during the 1980s and 1990s. They recalled a baseball field where the school now sits. Just think about how many kids probably spent their afternoons playing ball out there. Another big change mentioned was all the hotels around the Target area in Lake Charles. There was a time when that area looked nothing like it does today. Now you've got hotels, businesses, restaurants, and traffic everywhere.

Ruth Street in Sulphur Is My Pick. Now, for me, there's one place that always comes to mind when we start talking about how much things have changed. Ruth Street in Sulphur, right where The Grove is today. I can remember when there was a Diamond Shamrock gas station and a car wash sitting right there. And here's something some of the younger folks might not even realize. There was actually a road running through that area! Today, all of that is gone. The old buildings have been torn down, the area has been completely changed, and there's a beautiful fountain sitting there now. Don't get me wrong. The Grove is a beautiful addition to Sulphur. But every time I pass through there, I can still picture that old gas station and car wash.

It's funny how your brain does that. You can look at something brand new and still see what was there 20 or 30 years ago. Southwest Louisiana Has Changed, But the Memories Are Still Here.

Between hurricanes, new businesses, construction, and the passing of time, Southwest Louisiana has seen some pretty big changes. Some of those changes have been great. Others make us miss the way things used to be. But that's what makes living around here special. Everybody has a story about something that used to be somewhere. And sometimes all it takes is one little question on the radio to bring those memories back.

Now I want to hear from you. What's one place in Southwest Louisiana that looks completely different than it did 20 years ago? And don't say Mike and Scotty. We've already established that we've gotten older!

TRAFFIC NIGHTMARES: Top 5 Lake Charles & SWLA Streets to Avoid

You know the ones we are talking about. The streets where it seems like the traffic never stops. The ones that take you 10 minutes or more to pull out of a business to merge onto the street without getting run over, or where it seems that a thousand cars are coming down the road, and you feel like you will never be able to pull out.

Gallery Credit: Mike Soileau